Step-holder for cars.



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By ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEP-HOLDER FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed March 15, 1906. Serial No. 306,149.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosEPH EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Step-Holder for Cars, of which the following s a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to running-boards or steps of street-cars, such as used usually at the sides of so-called summer-cars. WVhere such cars are operated on double tracks, it is usual for the inner board or step, which is disposed over the double strip, to be turned up out of the way, this step being usually mounted upon pivots or hinge connections for this purpose.

The object of the invention is to provide simple means for supporting the runningboard or step and for holding the same in a folded position, where it will be out of the way.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter, and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to ing drawings, formin a part of this specification, in which simi ar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the the accompany- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the side of a car, showing how my device is applied in practice. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. In this view and in Fig.

1 the step is represented in a horizontal orat its lower extremity with a rearwardly-pro-- jecting foot 3, presenting an inclined face, as shown. This foot is further provided with forwardly-projecting ears 4, to which an arm 5 is attached by a hinge connection 6. This arm is provided with a rearwardly-projecting toe 7, which is adapted to come against the foot 3 when the arm is forced downwardly, so that the arm will be supported in a substantially horizontal osition. To the upper side of these arms 5 t e step or running-board 8 is attached; and to the outer face of the hangers 2 a riser or side board 9 is attached, as shown. On the rear side of the hangers 2 I attach a bracket 10, consisting of a plate having a sleeve 11, formed in a vertical axis at the edge thereof, said sleeve being disposed adj acent to the side face of the hanger, as shown. On its outer side, which is disposed toward the riser 9, the sleeve 1 1 is provided with avertical slot 12, extending longitudinally thereof, as shown. This slot terminates below in a curved or helical portion 13, which passes toward the rear of the sleeve, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The bracket 10 affords means for supporting a keeper 14, which has a rod bent, as shown, so as to form an elongated stem 15, received in the sleeve 11, the said stem being integral with a laterally-projecting arm 16. The outer extremity of this arm 16 is bent downwardly to form a retaining-finger 17. On the stem 15 a laterally-projecting pin 18 is provided, which runs in the slot 12 as shown in Fig. 4. When the ste 8 is folded up against the riser, as indicate in Fig. 3, the keeper 14 may be dropped down, so that the finger 17 engages the edge of the step in such a way as to secure it against the side of the riser. When it is desired to release the step, so as to place the same in a horizontal position, it is only necessary to pull up the keeper until the finger 17 becomes disengaged from the step, whereupon the keeper may be allowed to descend into its normal position, the step having been first removed forwardly, so as to be out of the path of the arm 16 as it descends. As the pin 18 moves downwardly in the slot 12 it controls the position of the arm 16, and when it reaches the curved portion 13 of the slot it rotates the arm 16 inwardly, so that it is held substantially parallel with the riser 9 and adjusted at the rear thereof, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to enable the finger 17 to clear the upper edge of the riser as it rotates rearwardly into the position referred to, I provide the upper edge of the riser 9 with a notch or recess 19, through which the finger passes.

By means of the construction described the step may be readily folded up and held securely inlplace, andlitlmay be uickly released when it is desired to place it again in an operative position;

Attention is called to the fact that I dispense entirely with the use of chains and similar construction adapted to give the step an undesirable play when it is held in a folded position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A step-holder adapted to be attached to a car and consisting of a bracket presenting a guide-sleeve, and a keeper adapted to engage the car-step, said keeper having a stem guided in said sleeve to move longitudinally and to rotate.

2. A step-holder for a car-step consisting of a bracket having a vertical sleeve, a holder having a stem slidably mounted in said sleeve, and an arm adapted to engage the car-step, said stem being longitudinally movable in said sleeve, and means for guiding said stem to rotate as it advances within said sleeve.

3. A step-holder for a car-step, consisting of a bracket having a verticallydisposed sleeve with a slot in the wall thereof, a keeper adapted to engage the upper edge of the carstep and having a stem passing through said sleeve, said stem having a pin received in said slot, said slot having a substantially straight portion occupied by said pin when said keeper is moved into engagement with the car-step, and having a curved portion adapted to throw the keeper back into an inoperative position when not engaging the car-step.

4. A step-holder for a car, consisting of a bracket having a vertical sleeve formed therein, said sleeve having a longitudinally- 40 disposed slot, the upper portion of said slot being longitudinally disposed on said sleeve, the lower portion of said slot being disposed circumferentially in said sleeve, a keeper consisting of a stem received in said sleeve and having a pin running in said slot, said keeper having a laterally-projecting arm adapted to engage the edge of the car-step.

5. In combination, a car having a step at the side thereof adapted to fold into a substantially vertical position, a bracket adapted to be fixed with respect to said car and constituting a guide, a keeper mounted in said bracket and adapted to engage the carstep, and means for holding said keeper folded back in an inoperative position when not engaging said car-step.

6. In combination, a car having a step adapted to fold into a substantially vertical position at the side thereof, a bracket adapted to be fixed to a part of said car and presenting a vertically-disposed sleeve, a keeper having a stem guided vertically in said sleeve and having an arm which may project outwardly to engage the upper edge of said step, said sleeve having a guiding-slot therein, controlling the position of said arm, said stem having a pin running in said guiding-slot whereby said keeper descends by gravity into a position with said arm disposed in a front and rear direction with said car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. BIRD, HENRY M. CORNELL. 

